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"RICH POVERTY!"
TEXT:
Rev. 2:8-11; James 1:2-4,12
INTRO: In western society we
have been raised to believe that wealth brings happiness and joy ...
that
poverty brings pain and ignorance. Our lives are heavily geared around
making more money, gaining more things, always looking for carefree
living.
Ironically, those who are the wealthiest are far from the happiest
people. The Bible teaches that there are 2 kinds of wealth, of this
world, and that of the
Kingdom
of God!
While
the world's wealth is not easy to gain that of the Kingdom is available
to all at any time!
Many
times worldly wealth gets in the way of spiritual wealth, hence Jesus'
statement to His
disciples that "it is easier for camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God!"
ILLUS:
One day a certain old rich man of a very miserable disposition visited a
rabbi. The rabbi took him by the hand and led him to a window. "Look out
this window and tell me what you see," said the rabbi to the rich man.
"I see fathers, mothers, children, and other people". Again the rabbi
took the rich man by the hand and led him to a mirror in the room. Again
the question by the rabbi, "Now what do you see?" The rich man
responded, "I see myself". Then the rabbi made his point, "Both the
window and this mirror are made of glass, the mirror however has been
coated with silver, and no sooner than this silver has been added to the
glass and it causes you to see no one but yourself ... how like this
riches can be. Wealth's addition to our lives can cause us to see only
our own life ... and no one else!"
Do we
seek spiritual riches with the same tenacity and efforts that we are
seeking worldly wealth?
The Bible teaches that true wealth often comes when we are without this
world's wealth. Some of God's great principles of life are best learned
in the absences of worldly goods. Suffering is a better teacher than
prosperity!
Like the
crushing of flowers; it is in the crushing that the fragrance is
released to bless others nearby!
I.
PERSECUTION & POVERTY 2:8-9
A.
The Situation 2:8
1. The
city of Smyrna unlike some of the other 6 churches mentioned here is
today still one of the largest cities in that area (today in Turkey
- name is Izmur)
2. The
Church here has no word of condemnation by God ... they were a godly
Church!
3. The
city had a large group of Jewish citizens that were very hostile to the
Christians.
4. It
was one of the few cities of the time to have a temple for emperor
worship.
5. The
name of this city, "Smyrna"
literally means, "Bitter" or "Myrrh"
a. Myrrh
was a perfume used for burials.
b. it
was made from a tree resin that was beaten to bring out its fragrance.
6. The
city was known as the city "WHO DIED
AND
CAME TO LIFE AGAIN"
a. it
had been totally destroyed at one point ... and much later resurrected
back to life!
Jesus
takes off of this idea in this verse: Rev 2:8
"To the angel of the church in
Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,
who died and came to life again."
b. the
citizens used this expression to brag about its new found life!
c.
Remember the introduction of Jesus to this Church!!
7. The
city was also famous for its games ... and garland wreathes for
winners!
8. The
city had powerful trade guilds ... major industries included idolatry,
such as the great temple to Bacchus, the god of wine.
a. the
poverty of these Christians was undoubtedly related to these trade
guilds.
b. These
uncompromising Christians were kicked out of the trade guilds, thus
losing their means of living.
They
gradually entered into poverty, abject poverty!
c. Many
of them who once had thriving businesses were forced into bankruptcy or
compromise ... they chose bankruptcy over compromise!
d. those
who had been part of the Jewish community were now declared, "Non-Jews"
they were no longer considered by the Jewish community a part of "God's
chosen people!" ("afflictions" - literally, "a burden that crushes")
B.
The Stress 2:9
1. They
lost their cultural identity because of their commitment to Christ.
2. they
lost their means of living.
3. They
lost their wealth.
4. They
lost their acceptance by others outside the Church.
5. They
were experiencing bitter suffering and loss without reasons of sin in
their lives, struggling with the issue of why a loving and good God
would allow this in light of their obvious faithfulness to Christ!
6.
Though under stress there is no hint what-so-ever that they were
complaining or bitter! -- in fact the evidence in this text suggest the
opposite!!
7. There
was no light at the end of the tunnel coming ... God adds that more
persecution lay ahead of them in fact!
8. The
stress level had increased ... and the persecution was now moving toward
even death for those Christians.
9. As
God's people it is very clear that we are not immune from suffering, but
we can avoid it's NATURAL consequences such as anger and bitterness!
a. The
pressing circumstances had sharpened their perspective of what really
matters in life.
b. the
pressures stripped them of focusing only on material things,
stripping away these other things had allowed them the freedom to stress
spiritual things.
Bees undergo an interesting process to ensure the healthy development of
their young. The queen lays each egg in a six-sided cell ... it is then
filled with just enough pollen & honey to feed on until the egg reaches
a certain stage of maturity. The top is sealed with a capsule of wax.
When the baby bee has matured to a certain stage, its resources gone, it
must struggle against the wax plug, twisting, digging, straining to poke
an opening through it to get out. Even after a hole is created the baby
bee must squeeze through it with great difficulty ... but this squeeze
allows its ability to fly later! Squeezing though the tight opening
scrapes off a membrane on its wings that would not come off later in any
other way ... taking off the wax plug to allow it an easy release would
doom it to earth, to never fly upward! God allows similar struggles in
order to help us fly too!
II.
PURPOSE & POWER 2:10 James 1:2-4
A.
The Secret 2:10a; James 1:2-4
1. The
secret to surviving this kind of stress is proper focus!
a. they
had to see beyond the present troubles ... to know that God doesn't
allow suffering without purpose! Failure to focus right leads to
despair!
b. God's
Word to them was in essence this need for focus:
ILLUS:
A hurricane is a storm with cyclonic winds that exceed 74 mph. Hail,
thunder and lightening accompany the winds to wreak destruction. There
is a safe place right in the midst of a hurricane however ... at its
eye! In the very center of it is peace! The eye is the focal point. So
with us in life's storms, peace is best found at the center and where
our focus is on God!
ILLUS:
Our Christian life is like a cake mix, all the ingredients mixed
together create a wonderful delight to the pallet, however, many of the
ingredients alone would cause us to gag! Things like alum, baking
powder, even flour alone would not excite us or taste too good! It is
all these things mixed together in right amounts that make a
wonderful cake! This is the meaning in
Rom.
8:28
"All things MIXED together work to our good!"
--even the bitter stuff!
2. It is
in this same context of a cake mix that we understand
JAMES 1:2-4
a. Being
grateful for trials because of the fruit of what can come from the
experience.
b.
knowing that it is these experiences that focus us on God and spiritual
realities leading to maturity!
c. this
maturity enables us to be strong in the Lord and the power of His
might!
3. The
secret to surviving spiritually the moments of suffering and loss is the
know-ledge of more than just the moment ...
it is
the knowledge that God works all things for our good. God will make a
purpose for the suffering.
a.
sometimes that purpose is to benefit others.
b. or it
may be to benefit us ...
c. or it
may just bring glory to God or encourage someone else who suffers!
d. BUT,
it is never without some purpose, God's plan is good for us!
B.
The Strength 2:10b
1. They
would be stronger spiritually because of what they went through and so
would their testimony!
a.
indeed this proved to be true, even up to today!
b.
Because of their commitment to Christ even today there is a thriving
community of Christians within this same city, one of the largest cities
in
Turkey
today!
c. The
very Minister who was killed from this Church (John's disciple Polycarp)
still has his grave within this modern city as a testimony of his
faith!
2. Their
strength has given strength to others throughout generations to hold
fast to Christ!
3. The
Church's Minister at the time John wrote this was a man by the name of
Polycarp.
a. we
know that he died in 155 AD. and that his final statement before being
burned at the stake was
"80 & 6
years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong; and how can I now
blaspheme my King that has saved me!"
b. He
may well have ministered this Church in
Smyrna
for almost 60 years,
starting
shortly after the book of Revelation was written. Thus, this prophecy
may have been a source of strength for him and the Church to be
faithful!
c.
Ironically ... those Jews who burned him at the stake did so on a
Sabbath, gath-ering the wood against their own laws!
4.
Trials are never intended by God to destroy us, but to make us stronger!
ILLUS:
A logger in a river was observed by a man to be picking through the
trees and separating some from others. When asked, the logger said he
was separating the stronger trees from the weaker ones, yet they were
all the same variety! The man could not see the difference and so asked
how the logger knew which were strong and which weak. To my trained eye
I can tell the difference between those grown in the valley and those
from the mountaintop, the valley trees are weaker, they grow in rather
mild conditions so their wood is more course grained. The ones from the
mountain top however have to endure great winds and cold temperatures on
a regular basis from the time of being a seedling! This constant stress
on them makes their grain very fine and tough, thus toughening them a
great deal. They are chosen to make the finest and most durable
furniture... weaker grains will not work for masterpieces!! Though the
same variety, the tougher circumstances produced the most desirable
products, how like this we are spiritually speaking!
5.
Strength is created and shown by trials, not in the absence of them!
III.
PAYMENT & POSITION 2:10b-11; James 1:12
A.
The Surprise! 2:10b; James
1:12
1. The
great surprise is that though poor by this world's standards we are
becoming rich by God's standards!
2. It is
also important to note that God says, "you
will suffer...for 10 days..."
a. God
would limit the duration of that suffering, it would not go on forever!
b. thus
He is in control of all things, even pain!
2. Their
loss was very real and very painful.
The word
used for "poverty" in the
earlier verse (9) was the Greek word
for "ABJECT POVERTY"... not just "poor"
3. Also;
the word used for "afflictions" (vs. 9)
translates literally, "SERIOUS TROUBLE" or "A BURDEN THAT
CRUSHES" -- not just inconvenience!
4. But
it would all lead to a great payment of wealth for them! their poverty
here was driving them toward wealth in God!
5. While
painful for the moment, they were becoming a masterpiece of
craftsmanship to adorn God's holy temple!ILLUS:
When a wood sculptor wants to create a work of art that will last for
generations, he selects a piece of wood and begins carving it, hammering
it, shaping it by shaving it... all until it is a work of art that will
adorn someone's mantle over a fireplace! There it will be admired over
and over while other pieces of wood pass by unnoticed in the fire below
it ... they are simply burned away for a moment of use while this
chiseled piece of wood remains as a work of art!
6. The
great surprise is that they were really not getting poorer but richer!
a. if
they were faithful, even to death, they still would be ahead...
b. for
their faithfulness they were promised the
"crown of life"
c. this
meant eternal life ... billions of years of existence with all of God's
wealth for the faithfulness of a few dozen years on earth!
d. the
exchange rate is unbelievable!
7 In the
end the balances will reverse:
a. those
who were wealthy now but ignored God would die and leave it all behind,
in death they will be completely barren ... full poverty!
b. but
for these Christians who in life had nothing, in death they would have
everything!
B.
The Security
2:11
1. Those
with spiritual hearing will understand the role of suffering and the
rewards of it!
a. they
will be secure even when life now robs them of all securities!
b. they
will recognize the end product ... security in God!
2. They
also understand that death will not hurt them or leave them stripped ...
but in fact will usher them into great wealth and life that can never be
taken from them!
3. they
lived in the present pain with the knowledge of the future for their
peace and prosperity!
4. this
is what provided them their security ... eternal life in Christ!
5.
though they were poor ... they really were quite rich!
It is
the great weather storms on the elements that break those elements into
rich soil, out of which comes the vital growth of plants that
supply the fruits that sustain us! So it is with storms of life ... they
break down our arrogance and independence, causing us to depend on
God-producing in us the fruits of righteousness.
An
occasional storm can enhance spiritual realities ... grow rich in your
poverty! |
